Applicator for paints and the like



Aug. 28, 1951 A. w. SCHAEFER APPLICATOR FOR PAINTS AND THE LIKE Filed March 5, 1946 INVENTOR. 41.8527 M 90/45/52 BY Mam Patented Aug. 28, l951 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE I APPLICATOR FORAYPAINTS AND THE; LIKE Albert W. Schaefer, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March '5, 1946, Serial No. 652,096

3 Claims. (Cl. 15132.5)

This invention relates to an applicator for paints and the like,

An object of the invention is to provide an applicator consisting of a tubular conduit adapted to be connected to a pressure pot or other source of paint or the like that is maintained under pressure and which has rotatably mounted thereon a perforated'roller through which the paint is distributed, the conduit serving as a handle for manipulating the roller in applying the paint to a surface to be painted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an applicator for paints and the like as above described wherein the construction is so designed that even if the roller is held vertically the paint will nevertheless be evenly distributed over the surface of the roller and the pressure of the paint within the roller will not cause an excess to be released at the bottom and a scarcity of paint to be distributed at its top.

Another object of the invention is to provide an applicator for paints and the like wherein the roller is equipped with a fabric distributing sleeve preferably in the form of a napped fabric and which by varying the nature of the nap can affect the manner in which the paint is applied to secure either a stippled or a smooth uniform application.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved applicator embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same, taken substantially upon the line 2-2 upon Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 2; and

Fig, 4 is a partial View in vertical section taken substantially upon the line 44 upon Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved applicator comprises a conduit or tube In bent to provide a shaft portion I I, an arm 12, and a handle portion l3. The handle portion is preferably arranged opposite approximately the center of the shaft portion II. It may be equipped with a suitable handle I 4 and is provided with means for attaching it to a flexible conduit 15 such as a hose leading from a pressure pot or other source of paint or the like that is supplied under pressure. A control valve is preferably incorporated in the handle portion l3 to facilitate control of the release of paint to the applicator.

On the shaft portion ll there is rotatable a roller it which has a multiplicity of radial holes or passages l1 formed therein. The inner ends of these holes or passages maybe traversed by annular grooves l8 but except for the grooves the roller rather closely fits about the shaft portion ll so as to be smoothly rotatable thereon. The shaft portion is equipped with holes or slots I! through which the paint may be discharged to enter grooves l8 and flow outwardly through the holes ll. On the exterior of the roller there are longitudinal grooves 20 and circumferential grooves 2| which preferably intersect each other opposite the ends of the radial passages l1. These grooves serve to distribute the paint over the exterior of the roller. The outside of the roller is covered by a woven fabric 22 preferably a napped fabric having an outwardly extending nap. The nature of the nap to some extent governs the nature of the painted surface produced. Thus, if the nap is a twisted nap the paint when applied will have a stippled appearance and if the nap is untwisted, the paint when applied is more evenly and smoothly applied. The fabric sleeve has a loosely woven body portion to enable the paint to pass therethrough from the grooves 20 and 2| on the exterior of the roller. In lieu of a fabric sleeve a perforated 0r porous sleeve of other material such as rubber may be employed.

The outer end of the shaft portion I l is closed as at 23 and adjacent the inner end a stuifing box is provided which prevents leakage around the shaft portion. A cotter pin 25 that extends through the shaft portion I l serves to retain the roller thereon. The end of the roller I6 is equipped with a flange that cooperates with the flange 0n the body or housing of the stuffing box to retain the sleeve thereon. As the lit between the sleeve and these flanges is relatively close, egress of paint at the ends of the sleeve is effectively prevented.

In applying paints and the like the paint is fed into the handle portion I3 through the hose l5 under pressure and flows therefrom into the shaft portion II where it is distributed into the various radial passages l1 and fed outwardly through the fabric sleeve. The roller is pressed against the surface to be coated and is allowed to roll relatively to the shaft portion II in applying the paint. The arrangement is such that even though the roller may be caused to assume a position wherein its axis is vertical that the paint is nevertheless distributed throughout its entire length. In other words, if the roller is so positioned that the closed end 23 is lowermost this does not cause the weight of the paint within the roller to feed an excess of paint to the lower portion of the sleeve, leaving the upper portion of the sleeve insufliciently supplied. Conversely, on turning the roller so that the closed end 23 is uppermost an, excess of paintis not supplied to the lower portion of the sleeve 22 at the expense of the upper portion of the'sleeve. Consequently, in all positions the paint is evenly fed to the sleeve and is evenly distributed thereby.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: I 1. An applicator for paints and the like-comprising tubular means adapted to have paint or the-like supplied thereto under pressure, said tubular means having at least one elongated longitudinal slot for the discharge of paint therefromya substantially solid roller closely fitting about the tubular means and rotatable thereon, said roller having radial passages therein, annular grooves formed on the interior of the roller communicating'between the inner ends of the radial passages and said slot, and a fabric covering on the exterior of the roller. ;:2,-An applicator for paints and the like comprising tubular means adapted to have paint or the like supplied thereto under pressure, said tubular'means having openings therein for the discharge of paint, a solid roller closely fitting about the tubular means and rotatable thereon, said roller having passages therethrough adapted 4 to communicate with said openings in the tubular means as the roller rotates, the exterior of the roller having circumferential and longitudinal grooves, said grooves communicating with the passages in said roller, and a napped fabric covering on the exterior of the roller.

3. An applicator for paints and the like comprising tubular means adapted to have paint or the like supplied thereto under pressure, said tubular. means having'a plurality of elongated longitudinal slots for the discharge of paint therefrom, a solid roller closely fitting about the tubular means and rotatable thereon, said roller having radial passages therein, annular grooves formed on the interior of the roller communicating between the inner ends of the radial passages and said-slots, the exterior of the roller having circumferential and longitudinal grooves,

said grooves intersecting at the outer ends of the radial passages, and a napped fabric coverin on the exterior of the roller.

ALBERT -W; SCHAEFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

v I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 1,357,763 Pratt Sept. 5, 1944 

